ABs: The myth and legend
8 Oct 2012
JON CARDINELLI says the All Blacks’ perfect balance between kicking and running, as well as their high level of execution, has allowed them to become the undisputed champs of world rugby.
As if the World Cup, Bledisloe Cup, Freedom Cup, and Rugby Championship title were not enough. The All Blacks didn’t just win that Rugby Championship trophy, they didn’t just win six out of six, they once again made a statement about how the game should be played.
It’s seems an obvious thing to say about the All Blacks, but then there is more to this side than what is perceived at a first glance.
They have some of the most gifted attacking players on the planet, but many forget that a team cannot win championships without a balanced approach. If attack was all you needed to be a success, the Lions would be reigning Super Rugby champions.
Before you celebrate the All Blacks as outstanding innovators and finishers, consider how they get themselves into those scoring positions. It is through a great mix of power, intelligence, and a fair bit of trickery that they win the forward battles. It is through sharp decision making that they can switch between kicking for territory and counter-attacking. And don’t underestimate the role experience has played in the All Blacks’ 16-Test winning run.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said earlier this year that experience helped the All Blacks win that 2011 World Cup, and went on to explain that it is experience that boosts a team in areas like defence, kicking, discipline and game management. You can have all the attacking talent in the world, but if you can’t succeed in these other aspects, you aren’t going to win championships.
Take the Rugby Championship finale at Soccer City as an example. The Boks were in fine attacking form early on, and that try from Bryan Habana will go down as one of the best of their season. But as flat as the All Blacks were during the initial stages, they stuck to their defensive task. They absorbed the pressure and then struck back before half-time, and then again after the break.
Meyer praised the world champions afterwards for the way they went about closing out the game. Meyer said Dan Carter was the key man for the visitors, as his decision making and execution during this period allowed the All Blacks to play the game down in opposition territory.
The stats substantiate the statement. According to ruckingoodstats.com, the New Zealanders kicked the ball from hand on 30 occasions (the Boks kicked 23), keeping 11 of those kicks in play. It was the tactics of Carter and company to put the ball behind the Boks and ask them to counter-attack. And when the Boks made mistakes or bad decisions, the All Blacks were quick to pounce.
It was another thing Meyer pointed to: this All Blacks side has made a habit out of punishing opposition errors. Again, the stats suggest that the All Blacks were better off in this department, making just four handling errors to the Boks’ 11. What those stats don’t say is how the All Blacks turned Bok mistakes into point-scoring opportunities.
Defence was an issue for the hosts last Saturday, with the Boks missing 12 tackles. The All Blacks missed 10, but that number needs to be put in perspective, as the visitors spent more time on defence (they had just 43% possession). While the Boks missed one in four tackle attempts, the All Blacks missed one in six.
The goal-kicking has been poor throughout the tournament, and again the Boks missed four of their eight attempts.
All in all, the Boks were guilty of spurning their own chances, and also guilty of providing the opposition with scoring chances. It was like two teams were playing against the Boks last Saturday: that is the All Blacks and the Boks themselves.
The All Blacks were good enough to first claw their way back into the lead, and then punish the South Africans to the tune of 16 points. That’s a hiding.
Meyer says his team has a long way to go, a statement that was later followed by Steve Hansen’s assertion that this All Blacks side can get better. The New Zealanders have won 16 in a row, and having brushed the Boks aside you’d have to expect them to breeze through Europe and overtake Lithuania for the most consecutive Test victories.
The Boks were No 2 in the world on Saturday night, but were overtaken when the Wallabies beat the Pumas in Argentina later on. Nevertheless, the Boks and the Wallabies are in the same boat in that they are nowhere near the All Blacks in terms of balance and experience.
The Boks are playing the right game, but their execution is not where it should be. I agree with Meyer that the forced introduction (because of injuries) of a number of youngsters has left this Bok side light on experience in key positions. That in turn has compromised their consistency as well as their ability to close out tight Tests.
A 16-point defeat at home is never going to be excused or be anything but embarrassing. At the same time, there has to be some perspective about where this young Bok team is in relation to what is (or at least will become after breaking that world record) the best All Blacks side in history.
Follow JC on Twitter
Follow SA Rugby magazine on Twitter
401 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 9 » Show All
8 Oct 2012, 10:10 am
@Dawn-142:
“If I was at work I wouldn’t be blogging!…………………………”
Yeah Right.
8 Oct 2012, 10:10 am
i don’t know what it is … can’t put my finger on it … but there is something i dont like about Kolisi …. brussouw is better IMO!
8 Oct 2012, 10:11 am
132, i agree jannie has been putting in shift after shift, very underrated player. Not sure but i think beest was out injured a lot of superrugby but also has not been at his best for a while
8 Oct 2012, 10:12 am
@grant100-152:
You think Amla is kak so your judgement and opinion is a bit dodgy.
8 Oct 2012, 10:12 am
Also the myth that Vermeulen is Bok quality, must be the slowest nr 8 in world, has no hands , and tackles a bit.
8 Oct 2012, 10:13 am
@capebull-155:
Don’t worry Spies will be back soon… The messiahs love child…
8 Oct 2012, 10:14 am
never said amla is kak……. he’s just no T20 player ….
8 Oct 2012, 10:16 am
@capebull-155:
Just when I thought the humour disappeared from this site…very funny
I suppose you prefer a no 8 with no hands, no heart, no vision who can run a bit
8 Oct 2012, 10:16 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-148: Elstadt is never fit (great pity this). Deon Fourie is going to France. Schalk Burger might not make a comeback, and even if he somehow does, his knee is well and truly stuffed. Nizaar Carr – not sure how his knee is healing, but it was a monster injury, and with speed being his forte, the effects might be dreadful. Koster leaving as well……
Thank the rugby gods we have Kolisi!!!!!!!
He is worthy of a starting berth even IF all of the above were fit and available. Don’t be too shocked to see a starting loose trio of Rhodes, Kolisi and Vermeulen for more than a few games.
8 Oct 2012, 10:18 am
Someone mentioned this on the other thread as well yesterday but the way JdV just took away line kicks from Jantjies was shameful to watch, almost like High School yoh!
Don’t know if it was just in the heat of battle but it left a bitter taste in the mouth.
8 Oct 2012, 10:18 am
@Gumboots-156:
Jip…and FDP and M Steyn will be back too.
8 Oct 2012, 10:20 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-139: @Dawn-143:
6. Kolisi
7. Schalk
8. Vermeulen
8 Oct 2012, 10:21 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-153:
Do you think if Morne played at 10 in this game we would have stood a better chance.
Serious question.
8 Oct 2012, 10:21 am
@COUCHCOACH-161:
…he is still on Matfields case as well…Bakkies too… He is trying hard…
8 Oct 2012, 10:22 am
160…kak man
Janties is left footed and gave the ball to the right footed pienaar to kick for touch in the relevent situation.
Devilliers gave the goal kicks all to jantjies and not pienaar.
8 Oct 2012, 10:22 am
2 things changes the game on Saturday …..
1. habana going for the intercept – NZ score
2. Goosen going off – Jantjies not in same league …
8 Oct 2012, 10:22 am
@Jeraldjay-163:
Morne had enough opportunities and his kicking was piss poor… No it wouldn’t have and the AB’s would have scored more tries from wasted extra kicking… the score might have been higher is my view…
8 Oct 2012, 10:23 am
@Sasuke-162: If Schalk cant make it then Elstadt or Rhodes at 7.
8 Oct 2012, 10:23 am
@capebull-155: oh ja what about the myth of spies? hehehe
8 Oct 2012, 10:24 am
@Hurricane-150:
Nice!
8 Oct 2012, 10:24 am
@Gumboots-156:
If Meyer goes down that route (recalling Spies, Steyn & Fourie Du preez of all people) then I’m giving up the little hope I have left.
Now’s the time to cut our losses and move forward with a younger generation seeking to play a more balanced game.
I’ve had it with JdV, he did his bit really it’s time to go, brilliant player in his time but he isn’t going to get any better.
8 Oct 2012, 10:26 am
@cane-151:
Whaat!
It’s true!
8 Oct 2012, 10:26 am
153…not the way he is playing now.
Goosengoing off was a big blow for us i believe all the players were really banking on him not that i do not rate jantjies but mentally, i think we were all banking on the goose. Him going off injured coincided with the boks slumping.
As it is,Steyn remains the only bok flyhalf to have 4 kiwi scalps, only bettered by larkham i believe in thenworld.
8 Oct 2012, 10:27 am
@grant100-166: You forgot another Heyneke’s inept strategy and selections.
8 Oct 2012, 10:28 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-165:
You mean to tell me NZ give the ball the right footed kickers when the angle isn’t perfect for the left footed Carter?
GTFOH
Jantjies has probably kicked for touch down a similiar angle like that a 1000 times on the Highveldt for the Lions.
Sies, JdV.
8 Oct 2012, 10:29 am
@Hurricane-124: @Dawn-125: OK, many thanks, will watch it ASAP and reply soonest.
@cane-126: Oh, all of them!
Shellshocked they are I guess!!!
8 Oct 2012, 10:30 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-173:
Agreed the backs were totally directionless once Goosen went off.
If we’re gonna put all our eggs in the Goose basket then we’re gonna cry krokedil trane in die voorkant.
8 Oct 2012, 10:30 am
@Gumboots-167:
I don’t know Bill.
We cannot play an expansive game with these guys. As yet , we do not have the skill set to do it. Keeping it tight was the only way to beat them on Saturday, with exceptional tactical kicking.
Just my humble opinion.
8 Oct 2012, 10:33 am
171,
Devilliers is done in my opinion. We need a new 12. Spies at 27 is not done and still the best 8 we have when on form. Porra can definately increase our scrumhalf stock for a while as we are genuinely kak at 9. Steyn is a genuine squad option if on form and if the goose cant get his body back together again. Id like to see jantjies play some tests at the end of the year. He takes the ball very flat but does not have the game breaking ability of the goose. His kicking under the circumstances this past weekend was superb.
8 Oct 2012, 10:38 am
175….carter has played like 80 odd tests and is the greatest 10 to have played. Jantjies doesnt even have a full 80 under his belt and comes on with the **** hitting the pan in an all black test match.
Carter was way protected when he first started his career playing 12 and not doing the kicking.
8 Oct 2012, 10:41 am
@wpstormerbok-175: maybe he did it to take pressure off Jantjies. Tough coming in against the All Blacks infront of 70k fans.
8 Oct 2012, 10:42 am
@wpstormerbok-171:
I have lost all faith in the guy. Never really trusted him from his first training squad… He let all know his bias then already… Used the Sharks as his red herring… They fell for it at first but now see the real man…
8 Oct 2012, 10:42 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-179:
Spies hasn’t been on form since 2007 at international level, in fact it’s only the game vs NZ at home that year and the series vs England before the RWC that he touched the ceiling of his potential.
Morne’s proven himself before but he needs the EOYT off as well.
Jantjies lacks pace but can grow into a quality Test flyhalf who can dictacte the game with tactical kicking and has good hands to put players away IF that’s part of the game plan and not just this random running from our flyhalf with the rest of our backs waiting for him to pull a rabbit out of a Kiwi’s but T.
8 Oct 2012, 10:43 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-180: 90 odd but ja i catch your drift. i said something similar above.
8 Oct 2012, 10:44 am
@Brads-44:
huh..?..
@Brads-46:
those are the facts
you can choose to view it any way you like
it still remains facts.
@Black Power-68:
are you a local kiwi,
or do you hail from scumtown proper..?..
@Hurricane-91:
the second half penalty count will make for good reading indeed.
8 Oct 2012, 10:44 am
@wpstormerbok-183:
Spies wouldn’t make any Currie Cup team at present, let alone Super Rugby… He has no heart and size means nothing then…
8 Oct 2012, 10:44 am
Man, this going to be loooong four years. The time has come to bid farewell to some players still being mentioned on this thread – Schalk and Juan Smith – they won’t be back, and they should not be chosen. Jean De Villiers has nothing to offer, ziltch – he must go, the South African backline has never performed with him there, it is no coincidence that they start firing the moment he gets injured (2007 and 2011 WC’s) and that WP start scoring tries the moment he is drafted into the bok team. Du Preez and Matfield talks should end now as well. Leave Bakkies in France.
Four out of nine, I don’t care what the ranking say, thats pathetic. Heyneke seriosly need to reconsider his assistance coaches, Ricardo Laubsher is way out of his depth. Defense coach McFarce should hang his head in shame after Saturdays outing. I don’t really know why a team needs a kicking coach – but clearly Koen’s influence has had negative effect on all kickers in the team – let him go.
What have we learned in the 2012? That our forward dominance approach is outdated, and that it no longer guarantees victory, even if you do get it right on the day. That ball skills, vision and speed is more important than size and strength. William Webb Ellis was tired of soccer, he picked up the ball and ran with it, he didn’t kick a bloody up and under.
Positves? Almost nothing. The only positives is that Heyneke learned a few lessons, the only problem is that it is lessons he should have learned long before his appointment. A good deck player is vital – the more you have, the better – Brussouw and Flouw is vital going forward. A fit Bismarck will help in this regard. He hopefully also learned that playing closer to the gain line is a must, and that asking as many questions of the defense as possible, yields the most answers.
Managing players well is going to be his biggest challange. We have heard that this is Meyers strength, but this is the area where I believe he has underperformed the worst. Keegan Daniel – say no more. I don’t want the mans job for all the money in the world, but if you sign on the dotted line, you better do your job!!
Young team for UK please!!!
8 Oct 2012, 10:45 am
Re One Eyed Bakkies.
Just watched the first half again. Ran out of paper at 31 minute, having noted 17 penalizeable (is that a word?) infringements by the boks.
Funniest was frequent sealing off at the ruck by the bok loosies stepping over then lying on the tackled bok player to prevent the AB’s competing for the ball. Funny because the first time the AB’s did it (at about 28:50) a bokke forward can be heard squeeking “sealing off sir”!!!
Forward passes featured, as did a number of scrum infringements. Eg jdp was boring in badly on woodcock, which messam saw and tried to protect his bud by pushing him back around. Messam was then penalized for his offense (unbinding) but jdp clearly should have been penalized first for dangerous play. Clear example of Rolland refacing only one side.
Let’s just be clear, I am not complaining about the ref. analyse any rugby match (or other contact sport) and you will find countless examples of offenses that could be, but we’re not, penalized. I am also not saying the boks are cheats. This type of stuff is just the norm in rugby, indeed in all contact sports (jersey pulling/holding in soccer anyone?)
I actually don’t doubt that bakkies has correctly identified quite a few penalisable offenses by the AB’s (tho no doubt some are dubious calls by him). I just think of he opened both eyes properly he would see the all blacks are no worse nor better than the boks or any other team.
Correction. I just wish for his and our sake he would actually watch the game rather than spend his whole time looking for of fences by one team. He might start to enjoy rugby.
8 Oct 2012, 10:45 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-179: “Spies at 27 is not done and still the best 8 we have when on form”
Really?
8 Oct 2012, 10:46 am
congrats to the abs and their supporters on the demolition derby.
the boks defense was worful.
the thing that worried me was that when the abs moved quick ball wide, the boks were caught with their pants down every time.
bekker, jdv, taute were terrible.
habs had a shocker.
the back row is simply too big and slow imo. duanne is a greta player but lacks the outright pace needed for test rugby imo, oh how i wish for kanko or even keegan to add a bit of pace and flair to our backrow.
at least the sharks made me smile after the bok blowout
8 Oct 2012, 10:47 am
It’s time ask hard questions after woeful display by the Boks
by Mark Keohane, 08 October 2012
THE only thing that can save the Springboks now, said a mate of mine, is another 20 years of sporting isolation. Having just watched the match tape for a second time, for professional and not sadistic reasons, my mate may just have a point.
Damn, the Boks took a beating.
This was the most brutal of reality checks and to deny the obvious is to ask for more pain.
The Boks were second best — and by some distance. They have been for some time and there should be no comfort in being the best of those competing for numbers two to five.
The referee did not favour the All Blacks. The referee did not cheat the Boks.
The All Blacks did not have an extra man on the field. Statistically, all the advantage was South Africa’s, before the start and in the first quarter of the match.
The Boks were at home, playing in front of 85,000 at altitude, and against an opponent who had already claimed the tournament championship and had reached Johannesburg from New Zealand via Buenos Aires.
The assumption — at least mine — was that the greater hunger for success had to be that of the Boks. Similarly, when judging the enthusiasm of the two teams.
I wrote before the match that one team wanted to win and the other had to win. I got it wrong in writing that the team who had to win were the South Africans.
Our boys wanted to win, but were never good enough. Richie McCaw’s men had to win to make another telling statement to those who refuse to acknowledge their achievements.
Clearly, there is no such thing as a meaningless Test for these All Blacks.
They set their own standards and they were done no favours by the referee, who awarded the All Blacks their first penalty in the 57th minute, by which time they had already scored four tries.
I have seen some very talented All Black teams stumble in South Africa because of a high-risk and all-out-attack approach. I have also seen some very good New Zealand teams run out of puff as altitude proved as decisive as any home-team attitude.
Not in Soweto.
The All Blacks were intelligent in their approach, calculated in when to play for field position and when to trust their defensive patterns, and they were ruthless on attack.
These guys played with no risk in the first 20 minutes, preferring to kick the ball back to the Boks and ask them to think. They hardly played any rugby, with the Boks making two tackles and forcing the New Zealanders to make 28.
Yet on 30 minutes the Boks trailed 12-10 and all theory about home-ground advantage was secondary to the reality of an on-field beating.
I have seen All Black teams batter the Boks in the professional era. I have never seen one that appeared so easy and so emphatic as in the last 40 minutes in Soweto.
To claim a few soft moments made the difference is to claim insanity.
I do not put much store in what coaches and players say after the game. It really is only when they see a recording of the 80 minutes that you get some sense out of them, even though Bok coach, Heyneke Meyer, will know that no scoreboard could do justice to the one-sided beating in Soweto.
For those of who you may challenge my view, go and watch the tape again. Those last 50 minutes especially were torture and the final 10 minutes looked like the winding down of a training session.
There can be no masking the situation and there is also no gain from playing the blame game.
Whether it was Johan Goosen, Elton Jantjies or Patrick Lambie at flyhalf would not have made a difference. It would not have made a difference whether the early kicks went over or not. They would have come back just those few minutes earlier.
Each week I hear a coach, a captain and a player say a few moments cost them the game.
If they acknowledge the problem is more complex, then those few moments will hopefully decrease considerably in the next 12 months.
Questions rightfully have been asked of player performance this season.
Meyer has said the season already has answered which players selected were good enough and which were not, but he needs to ask the same questions of his support staff.
How good are they? How good are the defensive structures, because players do not seem to trust each other or trust the system.
What is going on with the kickers?
Hard questions have to be asked from within.
There is no need to panic because of the defeat, but I’d start to panic as a supporter if there is denial about the nature of the defeat.
8 Oct 2012, 10:49 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-180:
@Sasuke-181:
That was deep in the second half already, by then he would’ve been comfortable enough to do it.
If Jantjies could kick 2 pressure goals before halftime, coming in cold the surely a line kick in conditions that he’s familiar with would’ve been no big deal.
If the leaders in the Bok squad don’t have faith in their youngsters then likewise they (young players) won’t have much faith in them either.
8 Oct 2012, 10:49 am
@capebull-155: Nothing wrong with our forwards. Your dislike for Duane is well documented, and is seen for what it is: Souspiesgrapes
Have no fear, the sooner all the WP players are removed from this joke of a Bok setup, the better.
Spies will soon be back to fall over his own laces, get smashed in the tackle by Dagg, drop balls, run sideways and all in all reduce the Bok team to 14 players. Morne too will be re-installed, along with various other Bulls brekers to save the day……..
8 Oct 2012, 10:50 am
turning inwards:
1. taute is not up to international standard imo. two big games and he has cost us with crucial unforced errors in both, let alone forced errors.
2. elton was only good for kicking (marginally) and not much else on saturday (very poor grasp of the game situation as it was transpiring and shiity passes to his players).
8 Oct 2012, 10:50 am
183….well that is also kak.
Spies was superb in 2009 test season.
He was particularly awesome in the 2nd test vs the lions at loftus. He had a huge 2nd half when the **** was hitting them pan. Took us over the advantage line all the time.
8 Oct 2012, 10:51 am
i really felt for lambie and jantjies on sat.
lambie was thrown in with no gametime in a lost cause and his lack of gametime showed.
connie has the potential to be a bok great but i think meyer made a mistake by not having the experience of morne on the bench and blooding connie on the eoyt instead.
bekker had a good game against the aussies but *** he is lazy or simply injured/ past it.
thankfully we can all agree frans is our best bet at 12 moving forward.
8 Oct 2012, 10:54 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-194: elton cannot be blamed for habana constantly trying to cut inside on defense and attack.
habs had a mare.
zane was actually quite good imo. the mistakes on defense leading to tries were commited long before the abs got close to him.
8 Oct 2012, 10:56 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-195: 2009 was his last recorded good game…..You do fuckingrealise we are fast on the way to 2013?
8 Oct 2012, 10:56 am
how good was JPP for the sharks?
sheesh the oke is in the form of his life even after coming back from a long lay off.
cant wait to have him back in the boks.
8 Oct 2012, 10:57 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-198: duanne is a carthorse ruckles.
always had my doubts but its clear the speed of our backrow simply is not up to standard.
kanko made the biggest mistake of his young life going to the land of the rising sun imo.
Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 9 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.